The Herb King

Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Old Grandpa Cooking Candies

Leric felt large amounts of world essence streaming towards his Hegel like a flood. He nearly fell to the ground because of dizziness from bearing such huge amounts of world essence, but after getting used to it, Leric no longer felt uncomfortable. He felt refreshed!

When all the world essence from the pill finally gathered to his Hegel, Leric abruptly stood up and stared at the remaining pills in his hands with excitement. “Hahaha! I’m a genius! I knew it! Just one pill was enough to push me to the mid stage Level 2 Esper!”

After recollecting his emotions, Leric noticed the mess he created in the storage room. The cracked cauldron, the burnt floor, and the missing herbs. “Oh crap! I should leave here soon before someone comes here and think of how I should let my father drink this pill.”

“What pill?” A woman’s voice suddenly sounded from behind.

Leric’s face fell and he slowly turned his head towards the door. He saw two familiar faces looking at him with a mixture of emotions.

Worry. Confusion. Surprise. Shock.

“Ah- Mom, dad...This... I can explain...” Leric put on a forced smile.

.....

“What explain? Who took you here, son? And what’s that in your hands?” Mr. Lassiter hurriedly walked towards his little boy and checked if he had any wounds. When he discovered that the little guy was fine, he heaved a sigh of relief and held his wife gently as he whispered to her. “He’s alright.”

Mrs. Lassiter nodded her head lightly upon hearing her husband. She had already seen that Leric was fine, but she discovered that the storage room seemed to be out of place.

Leric felt a bit nervous when he sensed the questioning gazes of his parents. He then randomly replied. “Uhm, an old grandpa brought me here and he said that if I take him as my master then he will help dad with his problem. I agree. When the grandpa brought me here, he was cooking something using that broken pot and he gave these to me. I saw that the grandpa took them from the broken pot. Mom, Dad, is this how you cook candies?”

The Lassiter couple looked suspiciously at their son. They then took the pills in his hand and began observing them.

Leric grinned when his parents took the pills. He knew that they were skeptical about his story, but he couldn’t tell them that he was the one who refined the pills, right? Who would even believe that a 3-year-old boy is an Alchemist?

Mr. Lassiter’s eyes widened when he held the pills in his hands. He could feel that each pill contained a large amount of world essence! “This is a pill! Not just an ordinary pill... If I’m not wrong, this pill can increase an Esper’s strength!”

Mrs. Lassiter nodded her head when she heard his words. Although she didn’t know about Alchemy, she once listened to a renowned Alchemist’s lecture during her youth and she knew that the ones they were holding were indeed pills! And if her husband wasn’t wrong, these four pills’ value is astonishing!

A pill that could increase an Esper’s strength? That was unheard of in the whole empire!

At first, they were still suspicious about Leric’s story, but it seems like their son was speaking the truth! Only high-level Alchemists could refine such a precious pill! And now, they had four of such pills!

“Son, where is that grandpa? Is he still here?” Mr. Lassiter held his son and looked at the little boy’s sparkling eyes.

Leric laughed in his heart. From the looks of it, his parents now believed his story!

The little boy had a confused face as he answered his father. “He already left, but he told me something before he left.”

The couple glanced at each other before they asked in unison. “What did the grandpa say?”

Leric scratched his face adorably as he said. “No one must know about me. That’s what he said. Mom, Dad, can I eat those candies?”

The couple was a bit disappointed to hear that, but they didn’t show it to their faces.

“No. I mean, yes you can, but not these. They aren’t candies, son. Nevermind, I’ll let your mother explain.” Mr. Lassiter glanced at his wife with a smile.

Mrs. Lassiter understood her husband’s intentions. They weren’t being greedy or anything. A pill with large amounts of world essence would be dangerous to a normal human. Without a Hegel, a normal human would die if they absorbed too much world essence.

“Listen, honey, how about this. I’ll give you more delicious candies and chocolates if you come home with us.” Mrs. Lassiter embraced her son and lifted him.

Leric was already an expert at playing the character of a clueless child, so he played along and clapped his hands joyfully. “Really? I will! Let’s go home, mom! Hehehe!”

“Good. Let’s go home, dear. We’ll clean the storage room tomorrow.” She smiled at her husband and signaled at him with her eyebrows.

Mr. Lassiter chuckled and said. “Yes! Let’s go home.”